view raw text
CONDENSED HISTORY OF THE RUNNING OF THE KENTUCKY DERBY Today brings about the thirtyeighth running of the Kentucky Derby As racing goes in the United States at present it is our most important fixed annual event It was not so a few years back when it was overshadowed in importance and value by the American Derby Tennessee Derby and St Louis Derby to say nothing of a galaxy of great events In the east But all of those events are now abandoned or dormant jnd tiiere is no disputing the preeminence of the Kentucky Derby Today hundreds are in attendance from Chicago and from all sections delegations interested in the decision of the race have journeyed to Churchill Downs to view the contest and applaud the winner winnerAs As a natural result of its long establishment It is now a race of traditions and numbers in its list of winners the names of many of the l est horses of the last four decades In some years it has bceii won by horses of no great merit But that is something that is true even of the Epsom Derby and against the ordinary class of Stone Street Donau Chant His Eminence and Elwood can be contrasted the extreme ex ¬ cellence of sucli magnificent thoroughbreds as Aristides Fonso Hindoo Lconatus Joe Cotton Spokane RIley Kicgman Halma Ben Brush Plaudit Lieutenant Gibson AllanaDale Sir Huon and Meridian all grand race horses anywhere or under any conditions Hindoo was not far away from being the best race lioise that ever raced in this country and after his retirement from racing was fully as great as a sire of other fleet and staying horses And only a few days back a grandson of Ben Brush now over in England von the Two Thousand Guineas and to that splendid achievement may add the greater glory of a triumph In the Epsom Derby June 5 5The The first Kentucky Derby had fifteen starters and every one of them had won or did win good races before or subsequent to its running Such an afterwards renowned horse as Ten Broeck was one of the unplaced ones in the race Price McGrath started his Lexington colt Chesapeake which had won the Citi zfiis Stakes of two miles at Lexington the previous week He confidently expected this colt to win the Derby and also started Aristides to help by making the running for a mile or so Aristides did this so effectively that he was first from start to finish and at the end Chesapeake was far back and badly beaten It was a stable delusion that Chesapeake was McGratlis best threeyearold but the acid test of racing demonstrated that in Aristides and Calvin McGrath possessed two others infinitely his superior However In those days it was rank racing heresy to suggest that one of another line of breeding had any right to beat n good Lexington colt or filly so the delusion was based on the prevailing beliefs of the day The dayThe record of the Kentucky Derby to date is as follows 1ear First Jockeys Wt Second Wt Third Wt Vnl Time 1875 Aristides Lewis 100 Volcano 100 Verdigris 100 2850 237i 1870 Vagrant Swim 97 Creedmoor 100 Harry Hill 100 2950 23SJ 1877 Baden Baden Walker 100 Leonard 100 King William 104 3300 238 1878 Day Star Carter 100 Hlmyar 100 Leveler 100 4050 237J 1873 Lord Mnrpby Shauer100 Falsetto 100 Strathmore 100 3550 237 1880 Fonso G Lewis 105 Kimball 105 Bancroft 103 3800 237 1881 Hindoo J McLanghlin105 Lclex 102 Alfambra 103 4410 240 1882 Apollo Hnrdl02 Runnymede 105 Bengal 103 4560 240 24018S3 18S3 Leonatus W Donohnel05 Drake Carter 104 Lord Raglan 105 3760 243 1884 Buchanan I Murphy 110 Loftln 110 Andrain 110 3900 240 1885 Joe Cotton Henderson 110 Bersan 110 Ten Booker 107 4630 2371 1SSG 23711SSG Ben All P Duffy 118 Blue Wing 118 Free Knight 118 4890 236 1887 Montrose Lewis 118 Jim Gore 118 Jacobin 118 4200 2301 1888 Macbeth II Covington115 Galifet 118 White 118 4740 23SJ 1889 Spokane KileyllS Proctor Knott 115 Once Again 118 4070 234 1890 Ililey I Murphy 118 Bill Letcher 118 Robespierre 118 5460 243 1891 Klngman I Murpbyr122 Balgowan 122 High Tariff 122 4080 252 241I 1892 Azra Clayton 122 Huron 122 Phil Dwyer 122 4230 241 I 1893 Lookout Kunzel22 Plutus 122 Boundless 122 4090 23 j 1C94 Chant Goodalel22 Pearl Song 122 Sigurd 122 4020 241 i 1895 Halma Perkins 122 Basso 122 Laureate 122 2970 237 I I89GBen 237I89GBen Brush SlmmsllT Ben Eder 117 Semper Ego 117 4850 207 1897 Typhoon II Garner 117 Ornament 117 Dr Catlett 117 4850 212 1898 Plaudit Slmmsll7 Lleber Karl 122 Isabey 117 4850 209 1899 Manuel i Taral117 Corslnl 122 Mazo 117 4850 212 1900 Lieutenant Gibson Boland 117 Florlzar 122 Thrive 122 4850 2061 1001 His Eminence WInkfleldll7 Sanriazarro 117 Driscoll 110 4830 207J 1902 AllanaDale Winkfleld 117 Inventor 117 The Rival 117 4850 2081 1903 Judge Hlmes H Booker 117 Early 117 Bourbon 110 4850 209 1904 Elwood Prior 117 Ed Tlerney 117 Brancas 117 4850 208 1905 Agile J Mar tin 122 Rams Horn 117 Layson 117 4850 210 1900 Sir Huon Troxler 117 Lady Navarre 117 James Reddick117 4850 2081 1907 Pink Star Minder 117 Zal 117 Ovclando 117 4850 212J 1908 Stone Street Plckens117 Sir Cleges 117 Dunrecan 114 4850 2151 1H 21511H Wintcrgrcen V PowersillT Miami 117 Dr Barkley 117 4850 2OS 1910 Donan Herbert 117 Joe Morris 117 Fighting Bob 117 4850 206i 1911 Meridian G Archibald 117 Governor Gray 119 Colston 110 4850 205 Distance reduced from 1 12 miles
